3°8 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Nov.  i,  18921 
ing  what  had  almost  come  to  be  considered  as 
standard  quotations.  According  to  the  published 
statistics  from  certain  European  ports,  it  was  evi- 
dent that  consumption  had  wonderfully  increased 
in  several  districts,  and  with  the  end  of  July  oame 
a breath  of  suspicion  that  this  increased  demand 
might  exceed  the  probable  supply,  and  before  sum- 
mer was  over  prioes  were  Is.  percwt.,  dearer!  The 
August  boom  was  not  so  short  lived,  as  such  sudden 
advances  generally  are  j miners  had  rushed  in  where 
even  speculators  feared  to  tread,  and,  consequently, 
a level  of  rates  above  8s  for  Rangoon  rice  was 
maintained  to  the  end  of  the  year.  Once  more 
steamer  shipments  have  increased  in  comparison  with 
the  quantity  taken  by  sailing  ships.  100,000  tons 
over  last  year  is  a large  increase,  the  actual  figures 
being  677,700  tODS  against  566,800  in  1890,  466,480 
tons  in  1889,  and  378,390  tons  in  1888.  Freights 
fluctuated  between  32s  6d  and  40  during  the  year,  and 
similar  rates  have  been  paid  for  the  coming  season. 
Cleaned  Rice  : speaking  generally,  we  think  we  may 
describe  the  trade  of  the  past  year  as  very  satisfactory  ; 
both  to  millers  SDd  dealers,  and  it  must  be  noticed  that 
so  far  as  London  and  Liverpool  are  concerned,  millers 
are  fast  adopting  the  position  of  dealers,  there  being 
in  face  of  continued  and  increasing  shipments  from 
Burmah,  but  few  opportunities  left  to  them  to  mill 
rough  rice  to  advantage.  They  therefore  meet  their 
altered  oircumstanoes  by  purchasing  the  oleaned  in- 
stead of  the  rough  article,  as  formerly  from  Bormah 
in  large  quantities,  and  so  to  speak  become  dis- 
tributors and  retailers  to  provide  the  require- 
ments of  their  buyers.  Although  the  shipments,  to 
Europe  and  America  have  increased  to  the 
extent  of  some  50,000  tons,  the  shipments 
to  the  Far  East  Straits.  China  and  Japan 
have  fallen  off  to  the  extent  of  about  double  this 
quantity,  which  is  almost  entirely  due  to  the  absence 
of  demand  from  Japan,  which  drew  so  largely  on 
Burmah  in  the  previous  year,  in  consequence  of  the 
partial  failure  of  the  orop  in  that  oountry.  The  course 
of  prioes  has  been  generally  a steady  rise  throughout 
the  year,  embraoing  an  advanoe  of  about  la  3d  percwt 
on  shippiug  quantities  of  Rangoon  while  cleaned  broken 
rioe  and  rice  meal  showed  at  one  time  an  improvement 
of  2s  to  2s  3d  per  cwt  from  the  lowest  point.  Values 
ranged  as  follows  say,  fair  shipping  qualities  of 
Rangoon  and  Bassein  and  NecranBie  8s  7%d  to  10, 
Patna  10a  to  13s  9d.  Japan  12s  9d  to  14a.  Japan: 
Contrary  to  general  expectations  shipments  were  on 
a much  smaller  soale  than  foretold  in  our  last  review. 
Although  the  crop  of  1890-91  was  undoubtedly  very 
abundant  the  troubles  consequent  on  the  failure  of  the 
previous  crop  seem  to  have  created  a feeling  of  anxiety 
throughout  the  country  which  had  the  effeot  of  main- 
taining values  at  such  a high  level  that  exports  were 
necessarily  curtailed.  We  had  the  highest  authority 
for  stating  in  our  last  year’s  review  that  quantity 
available  for  export  would  be  some  400,000  tons,  but 
aB  a matter  of  fact  the  actual  shipments  did  not 
amount  to  more  than  about  25  per  cent  of  that 
quantity,  and  were  distributed  as  under  : — Shipments 
to  Europe  80,000  tons,  America  14,000  tons,  Australia 
4,000  tons.  The  quality  and  condition  were  extremely 
satisfactory  as  a whole,  and  the  deliveries  of  the 
rough  grain  were  without  exception,  quite  up  to 
the  selling  standards.  Some  of  the  cleaned  ship- 
ments were, On  the  other  hand,  most  disastrous,  and  in 
some  cases  as  much  as  3s  to  3s  6d  per  cwt.  was  awarded 
to  buyers  for  difference  in  sample.  It  is  only  fair 
to  state,  however,  that  these  great  differences  were 
due  to  damage  by  either  sea  or  fresh  water  as  also 
to  the  presence  of  worms  whioh  infested  some  parcels. 
We  attribute  these  troubles  to  the  fact  of  the  damage 
having  taken  place  previous  to  shipment,  most  pro- 
bably from  being  kept  a long  time  in  stock  in  Japan, 
and  not  from  any  fault  in  the  actual  oleaning.  Prices 
ranged  from  10a  3d  to  11s  9d  for  rough  and  the  cleaned, 
whioh  was  chiefly  sold  on  a fine  standard,  at  about 
14s  per  cwt.  For  the  owning  season  only  about  8,000 
tons  have  been  sold  at  from  lls  to  lls  9d,  delivered 
terms.  The  orop  is  said  to  be  a fair  average  one,  but 
the  reoent  disastrous  earthquake  has  so  unsettled  the 
qouatry  that  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  say  what  may  ® 
he  the  result.  All  that  is  known  is  that  prices  remain 
very  high,  and  the  speculative  element  is  quite  master 
of  the  situation.  In  a country  where  this  feeling  is 
so  rife,  it  is  quite  possible  the  present  range  of  values 
may  be  maintained  as  last  year,  in  spite  of  ample 
supplies,  though  the  typhoon  in  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember is  said  to  have  red  coed  the  available  quantity 
of  export  quality  very  considerably ; at  the  same 
time  the  Northern  rice,  which  is  not  suitable  for  ex- 
port and  is  entirely  consumed  in  the  country  is  said 
to  be  very  abundant.  Java  shipments  continue  on  a 
comparatively  large  soale,  and  exceeded  those  of  the 
previous  year  by  about  3,000  tons.  The  quality 
wa3  fairly  good,  though  some  parcels  shipped  to 
London  were  found  to  be  considerably  under  the 
standard  of  sale  being  chiefly  deficient  in  colour 
and  containing  too  great  a percentage  of  broken. 
As  usual,  the  bulk  of  the  imports  were  landed  in 
Holland  and  prices  are  difficult  to  trace.  The  values 
of  shipments  to  Loudon  ranged  from  about  lls  to 
14s  3u.  per  cwt.  .Siam  and  Saigon  (Cochin  China)  : 
shipments  of  both  descriptions  were  less  than  the  pre- 
vious year,  especially  from  Siam,  where  the  crop 
suffered  very  considerably  from  drought  and  the 
quantity  directed  to  Europe  was  some  70,000  tons  less 
than  in  1890.  Saigon,  on  the  other  hand,  contributed 
within  about  4,000  tons  of  the  total  of  the  previous  year. 
The  qualities  were  fairly  good  and  the  Saigon  ship- 
ments were  nearly  all  taken  by  Prance  where  the  pro- 
tective system  favours  this  grain  to  a very  marked 
degree,  coming,  as  it  does,  from  a French  possession. 
The  rates  obtained  for  cargoes  ranged  from  about  7s.  c. 
i.  f.  for  Siam,  to  7s.  l£d.  to  7s  2Jd.  for  Saigon. 
The  total-shipment  of  Siam  to  Europe  were  9,950, 
against  80,500  tons  in  1890,  and  59,000  tons  in  1889,  and 
110.000  tons  in  1888,  and  from  Saigon  33,565,  against 
37.000  in  1890, 17,400  in  1889,  and  71,500  tons  in  1888. 
New  crop  prospects  in  Siam  are  less  promising 
than  last  year  at  this  time,  when  a partial  failure 
was  predicted.  The  reports  so  far  seem  to  point  to 
there  being  no  available  supplies  for  Europe,  but 
on  the  contrary  it  would  appear  the  crop  has  suffered 
to  such  an  extent,  that  there  may  not  be  sufficient 
for  the  internal  requirements  of  the  country.  The 
crop  reports  from  Saigon  are  good,  and  already  over 
40.000  tons  steam-milled,  including  some  4,000  tons 
pneumatic  shelled,  have  been  sold  for  shipment  to 
Europe  during  February,  March,  April  and  May,  at 
about  7s.  4j-d.  and  7s.  3d.  c.i.f.,  shipping  weights. 
comparative  shipments  prom  the  different  far 
EASTERN  PORTS  FOR  THE  PAST  TEN  YEARS. 
1891. 
1890. 
1889. 
1888. 
1887. 
Saigon  > . 
33,565 
37,000 
17,400 
71,500 
25,000 
Siam  . , 
9,950 
80,500 
59,000 
110,000 
63,000 
Java  . . 
25,000 
2,250 
11,879 
21,965 
17,330 
J apafi 
80,000 
7,000 
163,800 
144,500 
32.200 
— L,  and  C. 
Express. 
THE  CINCHONA  INDUSUTRY  IN  BENGAL, 
The  annual  Report  of  the  Government  Cinchona 
Plantation  and  Cinohona  Factory  in  Bengal  for  the 
year  1891-92  is  submitted  by  Mr.  J.  A.  Gammie,  Acting 
Superintendent.  In  marked  contrast  with  the  heavy 
rainfall  in  1890-91,  the  year  under  review  witnessed 
the  scantiest  fall  at  the  plantation  since  its  formation 
being  81  inches  against  an  average  126.  Fortu- 
nately it  was  well  distributed  and  proved;  sufficient 
for  the  requirements  of  the  plants.  Flights  of 
locusts  visited  the  cinchona  reserves,  but  caused 
no  material  injury  to  the  cinchona  trees,  which  they 
passed  by  for  tfie  leaves  of  the  acacias  and  the  worm- 
wood which  abounds  in  these  parts.  The  number  of 
cinohona  plants  in  the  plantation  on  the  1st  April, 
1892  was  4,369,971,  of  which  3,149,971  were  quinine- 
yielders.  The  cultivation  of  the  C alisaya  Verde  and 
Morada  species,  of  which  great  hopes  were  at  first 
entertained,  is  being  gradually  abandoned,  their  yield 
of  quinine  being  6cantly  as  compared  with  that  of  Oali- 
sayaLedgeriana  which  must  ocoupy  the  first  plaoe  on  the 
plantation  as  a quinine-yielder.  The  statistics  given  at 
the  end  of  the  report  show  that  no  red  bark  trees  were 
